shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Programarcadegames?

Not disclosed - programarcadegames.com

Worth it. A solid free starting point if you're new to programming and motivated by building small 2D games. Skip it if you already code or need modern engines, 3D, or career credentials.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and security evidence thin.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence of support channels
  • Security postureNo public findings either way

Pricing

Free

Website

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Print/ebookPaid (Amazon/Apress)

Best for

  • Absolute Python beginners
  • Self-learners motivated by games
  • Teachers wanting ready-made lessons with quizzes
  • Students wanting a textbook-paced course

Not for

  • Experienced devs — content starts at zero
  • Anyone building real production games
  • Learners wanting 3D or modern graphics
  • People needing certificates or mentorship

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Site's Pygame content is legacy; author now pushes Arcade — expect library migration mid-course.

low

Online version is free, but the full text is also sold as a paid book.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Complete beginner-to-game curriculum with chapters, labs, and multiple-choice quizzes
  • 80+ tutorial videos accompany the written chapters
  • Widely praised in Reddit learn-to-program communities
  • Appears on a university CS reading list
  • Guides learners toward the newer Arcade library

Cons

  • 2D arcade games only — no 3D, engines, or job-ready skills
  • Teaches Pygame while steering learners to its newer Arcade replacement
  • Free site doubles as a sales pitch for the paid print book

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/26/2026 - 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x1review x4security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free site; only book costs money
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Beginner-paced, praised across Reddit
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Python basics through 2D games only
  • Support quality. No evidence of support channels
  • Security posture. No public findings either way
  • Free Website price Paid print/ebook optional
  • 80+ Tutorial videos Accompany book and site chapters
  • 3+ Site languages English, French, Finnish versions
  • Paul Craven Author Book also published by Apress/Springer

Pricing

Website

Free

  • All chapters, quizzes, labs
  • 80+ tutorial videos
  • Online Python examples

Print/ebook

Paid (Amazon/Apress)

  • Full textbook edition
  • Companion site access

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

Alternatives

Compare Programarcadegames with each alternative.

  • Godot

    Real free game engine once basics click; 2D and 3D.

Companies that use it

  • Royal Holloway, University of London⁶
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and security evidence thin.

Free Python-via-arcade-games course. Great for absolute beginners; skip if you want 3D, engines, or job skills.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing and security evidence thin.

Sources

  1. Program Arcade Games With Python And Pygame (official site)programarcadegames.com
    official
  2. In praise of programarcadegames.com — Reddit r/learnprogrammingreddit.com
    review
  3. Learn to program arcade games! — Reddit r/learnprogrammingreddit.com
    review
  4. Program Arcade Games book — Goodreadsgoodreads.com
    review
  5. Amazon book listingamazon.de
    review
  6. Royal Holloway CS reading listintranet.royalholloway.ac.uk
    news
  7. opensource.com — Easy 2D games with Python and Arcadeopensource.com
    news
  8. Security pageprogramarcadegames.com
    security

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